The World Health Survey (WHS) was launched globally by the World Health Organization (WHO) to strengthen capacity for monitoring health system capacity and critical health trends. Data were collected between 2002-2004 from 69 countries and includes over 300,000 participants (approximately 5,000 participants per participating country).

Study design: Probability-based, nationally representative (for each individual country) household data
Data collection methods: In-person interviewing
Measures of depression: Diagnosis of depression; Treatment of depression; Medication use for depression; General feelings of sadness, emptiness or depression; Feelings of depression lasting for more than two weeks; Feelings of depression lasting most of the day, nearly everyday
Other measures: Self-rated general health; Mobility, Pain & Discomfort, Cognition, Vision, Sleep, Affect & mood; Alcohol & tobacco use; Nutrition; Physical activity; Environmental risk factors; Family mortality; Arthritis; Asthma; Schizophrenia, psychosis, paranoia & hallucinations; Diabetes; Tuberculosis; Medication use; Reproductive health; Vision; Oral health; Health system utilization

Notable publications using this data:

• C. Apfelbacher: Depression and inflammatory arthritis are associated in both Western and Non-Western countries: Findings from the World Health Survey 2002

• R. Kessler et al: Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of mental disorders in the World Health Organization’s World Mental Health Survey Initiative
• S. Moussavi: Depression, chronic diseases, and decrements in health: results from the World Health Surveys